Essentials of Human Anatomy
Nervous System I
Dr Fadel Naim
Ass. Prof. Faculty of Medicine
IUG
Introduction
• The function of the nervous system,
along with the endocrine system, is to
communicate
• The nervous system is made up of
– the brain
– the spinal cord
– the nerves
Functions of Nervous System
Sensory Function
• sensory receptors gather
information
• information is carried to the Motor Function
CNS • decisions are acted
upon
Integrative Function • impulses are carried
• sensory information used to to effectors
create
• sensations
• memory
• thoughts
• decisions
Organization of the Nervous System
• Organized to detect changes in internal and external
environments, evaluate the information, and initiate an
appropriate response
• Subdivided into smaller “systems” by location:
– Central nervous system (CNS)
• Structural and functional center of entire nervous system
• Consists of the brain and the spinal cord
• Integrates sensory information, evaluates it, and initiates
an outgoing response
– Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
• Nerves that lie in “outer regions” of nervous system
• Cranial nerves—originate from brain
• Spinal nerves—originate from spinal cord
Divisions of Peripheral Nervous System
Sensory Division
• picks up sensory information and delivers it to the CNS
Motor Division
• carries information to muscles and glands
Divisions of the Motor Division
• Somatic – carries information to skeletal muscle
• Autonomic – carries information to smooth muscle,
cardiac muscle, and glands
Divisions Nervous System
Organization of the Nervous System
• “Systems” according to the types of
organs they innervate
• Somatic nervous system (SNS)
• Somatic motor division—carries
information to the somatic effectors
(skeletal muscles)
• Somatic sensory division—carries
feedback information to somatic integration
centers in the CNS
Organization of the Nervous System
• Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
• Efferent division of ANS—carries information to
the autonomic or visceral effectors (smooth and
cardiac muscles and glands)
– Sympathetic division—prepares the body to deal with
immediate threats to the internal environment
– Parasympathetic division—coordinates the body’s
normal resting activities
• Visceral sensory division—carries feedback
information to autonomic integrating centers in the
CNS
Organization of the Nervous System
• Afferent and efferent divisions
– Afferent division—consists of all incoming
sensory pathways
– Efferent division—consists of all outgoing
motor pathways
Sensory Division
• Somatic sensory components:
– General somatic senses:
• touch
• pain
• pressure
• vibration,
• temperature
• proprioception.
– Special senses:
• Taste
• Vision
• Hearing
• Balance
• smell
Sensory Division
• Visceral sensory components
– transmit nerve impulses from blood vessels and
viscera to the CNS
– visceral senses primarily include:
• temperature
• stretch (of the organ wall).
Motor Division
The somatic motor component (somatic nervous
system; SNS):
– conducts nerve impulses from the CNS to skeletal muscles
– also known as the voluntary nervous system
• The autonomic motor component (autonomic nervous
system; ANS): internal organs, regulates smooth muscle,
cardiac muscle, and glands.
– Innervates
• Internal organs
• Regulates smooth muscle
• Regulates cardiac muscle
• Regulates glands
– also known as the visceral motor system or involuntary nervous
system
Nerve Cells
• Nervous Tissue
– Two distinct cell types
• Neurons
– excitable cells
– initiate and transmit nerve impulses
• Glial cells
– nonexcitable cells
– support and protect the neurons
The Neuron
• Structural and functional unit
of the nervous system.
• formed of
– nerve cell
– processes
• the dendrites
• the axon.
Characteristics of Neurons
• Neurons have a high metabolic rate.
• Neurons have extreme longevity.
• Neurons typically are non-mitotic.
Neuron Structure
• Neurons come in all shapes and sizes
• All neurons share certain basic structural
features.
• typical neuron:
– Cell body (soma)
– Dendrites
– Axon
Neuron Structure
– Cell Body
• The cell body
– the neuron’s control center
• responsible for:
– receiving
– integrating
– sending nerve impulses.
– Consists of:
• Plasma membrane
• Cytoplasm
• Nucleus with prominent nucleolus
• Chromatophilic substance (Nissl bodies): RER
• Free ribosomes
Cells of the Nervous System
– Components of
neurons
• Axon
– A single process
extending from the
axon hillock, sometimes
covered by a fatty layer
called a myelin sheath
– Conducts nerve
impulses away from the
cell body of the neuron
Cells of the Nervous System
– Components of
neurons
• Dendrites
– Each neuron has one or
more dendrites, which
branch from
the cell body.
– Conduct nerve signals
toward the cell body of
the neuron.
– Distal ends of dendrites
of sensory neurons are
receptors.
Classifications of Neurons
• Neurons vary widely in morphology and location.
– classified based on
• structure
• function
• Structural classification: number of processes
extending from the cell body.
– unipolar neuron has a single process
– bipolar neurons have two processes
– multipolar neurons have three or more processes
Classification of Neurons –
Structural Differences
• Unipolar
• One process.
• Ganglia.
• Bipolar
• Two processes.
• Eyes, ears, nose.
• Multipolar
• Many processes.
• Most neurons of CNS.
.Light micrograph of the gray matter of the spinal cord (×270)
.Observe the multipolar neuron (mN) cell bodies and their processes
Classification of Neurons –
Functional Differences
Sensory Neurons
• afferent.
• carry impulse to CNS.
• most are unipolar.
• some are bipolar.
Interneurons
• link neurons.
• multipolar.
• in CNS.
Motor Neurons
• multipolar.
• carry impulses away
from CNS.
• carry impulses to
effectors.
Nerves
• Nerves are organs of the PNS.
• Sensory (afferent) nerves: convey sensory information to
the CNS.
• Motor (efferent) nerves: convey motor impulses from the
CNS to the muscles and glands.
• Mixed nerves: both sensory and motor
• Axons terminate as they contact other neurons, muscle
cells, or gland cells.
• An axon transmits a nerve impulse at a specialized
junction with another neuron called synapse.
Peripheral
Nerves
Organization – coverings:
• Epineurium wraps entire
nerve
• Perineurium wraps fascicles
of tracts
• Endoneurium wraps
individual axons
Repair of Nerve Fibers
• Mature neurons are incapable of cell
division; therefore, damage to nervous
tissue can be permanent
• Neurons have limited capacity to repair
themselves
• Nerve fibers can be repaired if:
1. The damage is not extensive.
2. The cell body and neurilemma are intact.
3. Scarring has not occurred.
Regeneration of PNS Axons
• PNS axons are vulnerable to cuts and trauma.
• A damaged axon can regenerate
– if some neurilemma remains.
• PNS axon regeneration depends upon three
factors:
1. Amount of damage.
2. Neurolemmocyte secretion of nerve growth factors.
• stimulates outgrowth of severed axons
3. Distance between the site of the damaged axon and
the effector organ.
Regeneration Of Neurones
Regeneration in human
• If: nerves is a slow process.
The rate of growth is about
– no infection
1.5 mm per day in human,
– partially cut axon while in rabbits it is about 3
– neurolemma is intact mm. per day.
• regeneration starts in the nerve cell by resuming
its normal shape and contents.
• The neurofibrils (axon sprouts) of the
central stump will grow.
– They enter the neurolemmal tube and extend
to the distal cut end of the nerve.
The Neuroglia
• No C.T. in the CNS
– instead there are the neuroglia.
• the supporting tissue between the
neurons of the C.N.S.
Functions Of Neuroglia
1. Support the neurons
– Similar to the function of C.T. In other organs
2. Form the myelin sheaths around axons
3. Act as insulator between neurones
4. Nutritive function for neurones
5. Defend against inflammations
6. Help in regeneration of neurones
7. Secrete the C.S.F
THE END
